Soucar and the Sphere
by philipapohlman
Summary: In a world filled with Time Travelers, a weapon is created. The Sphere, being the only way to travel back into the past, holds a power few can resist. When it falls into the wrong hands the whole world is thrown into chaos. In a year the Sphere will reappear, but who's hands will it fall into? It is the year 2043 and it could be their last.
1. Chapter 1: Too Close

**Book One of the Sphere Series:**

**Soucar and the Sphere**

* * *

**Chapter 1: Too Close**

July 15th, 2033, 2:00pm

"So, Hansel and Gretel, followed the moonlit path of rocks back to the safety of their home," he heard his mother read.

The blue flash from a lightning strike illuminated the dark basement. His mother paused as thunder shook the ground. Her eye angled upwards at the old, unfinished ceiling as if expecting it to collapse on them.

"Jay," Sarah, his younger sister, hugged him tightly from the side. "I'm scared."

"It's okay." Jay lifted her up and set her on his lap. "I won't let anything happen to you." He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. Her little body trembled with fear. Nothing could tear him away from her during this storm.

Just then, he felt a disturbance. He could mentally feel the Sun's gravitons shift from their usual straight motion. He tensed.

His mother noticed his rigid posture. "What is it?" she asked.

"There's—" Jay's voice broke off as his stomach started to turn. His lips quivered as he built up the confidence to say the words none of them wanted to hear. "There's someone out there."

His mother's forehead wrinkled. Her skin turned white with grief. "A visitor?"

Jay nodded. Only a Time Traveler was capable of creating such a distortion in the flow of gravitons. With unauthorized time travel illegal, he knew that no one would do such a thing in the open unless they were unaware of the consequences. There was only one type of person who fit this description. A visitor. Not a visitor to the city, but a visitor through time. A visitor from the past.

He had to do something. With a torn heart, he lifted his sister off of his lap. Though he loved her more than anything, he couldn't let the visitor suffer in the hands of the Time Travel Police.

"Please, let the TTP handle him," his mother said the Time Travel Police acronym with distaste.

He met his mother's eyes for a moment, before he looked to the ground. "I can't," Jay turned away and walked towards the stairs. "You know what they will do to him," he said over his shoulder.

"Jay, please stay!" Sarah chased after him and hugged him from behind.

Jay turned to her. Sorrow filled his eyes at the thought of leaving her. He bent down to her eye level and stroked her hair. "I will come back," he assured her.

She nodded her head with absolute confidence in his words.

He kissed her on the forehead, and pointed her towards her mother. "I won't be long," he said to his mother. He turned away before his love for them made him stay. The stairs creaked underneath him as he climbed to the top and exited the basement. Before he shut the small door behind him, he listened to his mother's soothing tone as she comforted his sister and brother.

With the latch secured, he raced to the hall to retrieve his jacket. There was no time to lose. The TTP must have already been alerted to the distortion. They would be finishing their calculations by now. In a few moments it would all be too late.

Jay forced the door open and dashed into the storm. The frame shook as the wind shut the door behind him. He didn't care that the town's tornado sirens blared. He had to prevent what was going to happen.

If the TTP beat him to the visitor, then they would either kill him on the spot or bring him back to the Time Travel Research Society where he would die as a lab rat.

His feet skidded on the dry gravel as he turned down a back alley. It had yet to start raining, but the dark clouds above told him that rain wasn't far off. The wind, as well, smelt of rain mixed with the smell of dust and manure from the fields nearby.

After the alley, he would need to cut through the Hayman's yard to get on Skyline drive. From there, it would be a straight shot towards where he had felt the disturbance.

Nearly halfway down Skyline drive, he saw a man running towards him. He was dressed in strange furs. Jay squinted. A few moments later he recognized him as a Native American. Without a doubt, he knew that this was the visitor.

The native's wide, fearful eyes jumped from side to side. No matter what he saw, everything added to the fear that drove him on. He only noticed Jay when he was twenty feet away. He yelled in fear and turned to cross the lawn on his right.

"Don't worry," Jay yelled as he followed after him. "I'm here to help you!"

The Native balanced on the top of the fence and faced Jay. "You, white men, take over our land!" The veins on his forehead bulged as he spoke.

Jay didn't have time for this. "Listen. If you don't let me help you, they will make you a slave."

Hardly had Jay finished speaking when the native looked passed him. His face contorted in fear, as he swung around and jumped off the fence to land on the other side.

Behind him, Jay saw five TTP use the sun's gravitons to jump over a fence. Jay muttered a curse and chased after the native.

It was because Time Travelers could feel others make time jumps that the TTP were able to pinpoint the native's location just as easily as Jay had.

Since tracking time jumps was easy and only forwards time travel was possible, there was no way for him to escape in time. All he could try to do now was out run the TTP, and so he did. Jay followed the native over several more fences to find himself at the edge of town.

A raindrop splattered on his face which was soon followed by dozens of others. A distant barn vanished behind the curtain of rain.

Up ahead, the Native thrust off his thick fur coat and ran across the open plain. The wind caught the fur and lifted it into the air like a leaf in the breeze. With another glance behind, the native turned towards the west to escape his pursuers.

Taking advantage of the situation, Jay used the sun's gravitons to make a small time jump to appear just behind the native. Jay looked back to discover the five TTP splitting up and forming a circle. He recognized their plan. He only had a few seconds before escaping would be impossible.

"We have to go north or they will surround us!" Jay yelled as the situation started to slip out of his control.

"You are trick white man," the native's voice was sharp with anger. "I know your kind."

Hardly had he finished speaking before one of the TTP appeared only feet in front of them. They both skidded to a halt. The native yelled in surprise as he realized that they were surrounded. Jay looked down to the ground. He hoped the TTP wouldn't recognize him.

Instantly, Jay calculated a plan. "When I say 'now', run towards the town," he whispered. With his face angled downwards, there was no way of knowing if the native understood or even heard him over the wind.

"Now listen you two," the TTP Officer began. "Because you resisted the TTP, we can, by law, add up to a year to your prison sentence." His voice sounded low and dangerous. "However, if you listen to me and do as I say, I can cut that time down to a single month." He took a step towards Jay. "Do you understand?" The Officer reached out a hand to lift Jay's head up.

"Now!" Jay yelled as he punched the TTP Officer and focused on the gravitons. He pictured a funnel above each TTP. They shot into the air as Jay magnified the sun's gravity onto each of them. Jay spun on his heels and chased after the native who had, thankfully, listened to his directions.

Before any of the TTP could break his hold on them, Jay let them fall to the ground. With his mind now free, he funneled the gravitons onto the ground behind him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw dust rise into the air. The wind swept it towards the TTP, hindering their progress and any attempts to catch Jay in a reversed gravitational hold.

Only when he was certain that they were far enough behind, did he release his hold on the gravitons. The native slowed down for him and let him lead the way. They cut through a few yards before Jay stuck to the roads and lead a zigzagged pattern through the neighborhood.

Without any warning, large golf ball sized hail fell from the sky to shatter on the pavement beneath them. A few struck them, but Jay was determined not to slow.

Once he was certain he had lost the TTP, he came to a breathless stop. In place of his heavy breathing, Jay heard a low rumbling. He turned to find a black vortex swirling no more than a mile away.

His hands started to shake as he pulled out a small object. He took a few steps until it lit up green. He had to strain his ears to hear what it said.

"31.457243 seconds," came the animated computer voice.

The native staggered backwards as he heard the small object talk, but, seeing that Jay wasn't frightened, he made an effort to calm down. "What you do?" He asked without taking his eyes off of the glowing object.

"I am going to send you to a faraway land so that they will not catch you." Jay yelled, hoping the native would understand.

The native narrowed his eyes but didn't push any further, so Jay continued with the preparations. He pulled the native to where the object had turned green.

"Name?" he asked Jay.

"Jay—" He paused. Telling the native his name was not a good idea. If the TTP ever found him, they would torture him until he turned Jay in. "—Webb." Anger filled his mind. It had been a while since he had last heard the two words together.

"I thank Jay Webb," the native had trouble saying the name. "If Jay Webb ever need help I," he pointed to himself, "Kiyo Toka, will wait for Jay Webb."

"Thank you, Kiyo Toka. It's an honor to meet you." Jay closed his eyes and reversed the gravity for Kiyo by funneling the suns gravitons onto him. He pictured the amount of time that the object had told him and opened his eyes. As he expected, Kiyo was gone and would appear in China in 31.5 seconds.

With Kiyo safe, he noticed the ground was shaking. He turned and stared in awe at the massive swirling cloud. Roof shingles, fence posts and tree limbs orbited the growling beast. It was already in the town.

_No, my family!_ Jay ran towards his house and the tornado. Judging by the tornado's position, it hadn't reached his house, but it was close. Too close.


	2. Chapter 2: The Countdown Begins

**Chapter 2: The Countdown Begins**

June 8th, 2043, 12:55pm

There was an aching in Oren's stomach. It was a mental pain but it felt so real. It was the pressure and anxiety of the situation that turned his stomach in knots. Breathing even came with difficulty.

Then there was his surroundings: peaceful, serene, beautiful. It was as if it were taunting him. He hated it. Oren's hands grew slick with sweat as he held the smooth Sphere. Thirteen years of training and ten years of research led up to this moment and what he was about to do. If anything went wrong he would be punished beyond imagination. No, he couldn't let that happen.

He felt a light breeze on his forearms as he pushed aside his envy of the calm prairie and turned his attention to his surroundings. Golden rolling hills stretched as far as he could see. A few dark green trees spotted the landscape. He let the beauty of nature seep in as he tried to calm himself. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

He felt peace calm him before the sound of the dry, rustling grasses around him made his heart lurch. It triggered an imaginary smell of his old home. His eyes shot open, but he only saw the open expanse. His home was gone. A deep longing for his dead family struck him like a dagger in his heart. He tried so hard to forget what had happened. Old laughter that had been long forgotten resurfaced. Every joyful moment he could think of happened before that dreadful day. He sighed. It was all gone, his past, his home, and his family.

Oren glanced down on the ground and repositioned himself on the red spray-painted dot. He turned his attention from his surroundings to the Sphere and the stress it brought. Was everything hostile? His life was under the control of greedy men, his past was ripped away, and his job only helped further solidify his authorities hold on society. Death was the only way to escape the legal slavery he lived in. It not only freed him from his life; to Oren, it would also reunite him with his family.

He wasn't spiritual, but he knew his family was out there somewhere waiting for him. He wanted to be with them more than anything, but he also knew that if they were watching him. Oren couldn't let them down like he had several years ago.

The headphone in Oren's ear crackled to life, bringing him back to the present. "Are you in position?"

Oren took a moment to collect his thoughts. "Yes."

"Are you ready?" Aaron, sounded concerned with Oren's response.

"Yes." Oren repeated the word in a much more confident tone.

"Good," Aaron said meaningfully. "Good luck, Oren. We all know you can do it." Aaron sounded eager and was in a happier mood than Oren.

The crackling disappeared, leaving Oren and his thoughts alone in the field. The sooner he got this over with the better.

Oren held his hand out and watched as it shook. He took several deep breaths but none of them helped. He lifted his hand and wiped his clean-shaved temple. Even though he wore a wife beater, his shirt felt damp at the touch.

"Sphere on," Oren commanded as the time reached 12:59 pm. At the command, the Sphere lit up. The shell illuminated with hundreds of lime green points of light. The dark green underlay set a striking and complimenting contrast to the racing lights. It's polished and nearly glass like exterior reflected his face in the midday sun.

Oren looked pale and malnourished. His dark bags and sad brown eyes made him look nearly ten years older than his real age of thirty. The only nice looking element on him was his clean-shaven face. What used to be a well-built muscular body now stood frail and weak. He couldn't believe how much his face had changed.

Looking away from his reflection he watched the time as the seconds slowly ticked towards sixty. At thirty seconds he started to count the seconds as he kept pace with his watch. He extended his only free hand towards the sun. Once he reached fifty-five, he closed his eyes as he prepared himself. Fifty-six, fifty-seven, fifty-eight, fifty-nine, sixty!

Tension surged through his body. His pulse quickened. Using his well-trained graviton bending power, he reached out with his mind and soaked in the sun. Oren focused on the constant stream of gravitons that flowed out from the sun. With only his mind, he angled them all onto the Sphere. The weight in his hands decreased. He did this in mere seconds, and ended it all with a quiet muttering of the time he wished the Sphere to be sent forwards into the future.

Oren opened his eyes and looked where the Sphere had been floating. It was gone, but whether it went forwards or backwards in time was the real question. If his calculations were right, and the Sphere did reverse his power, then it would appear in the designated spot located one-hundred feet east and five feet underground. Otherwise it would appear in the exact opposite direction. Oren couldn't wait while his partner and crew dug down to the Sphere. He had to see it for himself.

Dust rose into the air from his long strides. He breathed heavily through his sun-dried and cracked lips. I can't believe it's almost over.

It wasn't for himself that he hoped the Sphere would work, but for his dead parents and siblings. He had no wife or children, so it was only through him that their family name would be remembered, and this, Oren thought for certain, could only happen through the Sphere.

He stopped when he reached the top of a small hill and saw the excavator working at the ground. Oren inhaled before continuing down the hill. He worked towards this moment for years, and now he just had to wait and see the result of his labor.

At the sound of his footsteps Aaron turned to greet him. "Only seconds away from success." He patted Oren on his back as he came to a stop at the side of the growing hole.

Oren's expression softened.

"You did it at the right time didn't you?" Aaron wiped the sweat off the top of his head.

Like Oren, Aaron also had a shaved head; this was mandatory for anyone granted access into 'The Vault'. A single hair could cost millions of dollars in damage, so, it all had to go."Yes, it all went according to plan." The conversation ended as they turned their attention to the digging.

Around the five foot wide hole stood four other people, including the excavator operator, all of whom had aided in creating the Sphere. To the south of the hole sat a black pickup truck and a red four door car that the others had driven in.

Everyone quieted as the hole reached three feet deep. Oren tapped his foot with anticipation, it had to be there. Oren covered his ears as the large metal shovel scraped against a hard surface. It caught on a tow strap, and started lifting a metal box in the air. If the Sphere worked it would be in the empty metal container.

Their eyes followed the excavator as it lifted the crate into the air and placed it on the side of the hole. They all crowded around the crate and waited for Aaron to open it. Their breathing seemed to stop as they waited. Only the soft humming from the excavator remained as everyone else fell silent.

Aaron unlocked the container and flung the lid open. It clashed as the lid flipped open and hit the containers side. They all leaned over the opening. A green light illuminated the inside of the crate. It was the Sphere.

Cheering erupted, as shouts of joy replaced the eerie silence. "It worked! The Sphere worked! Aaron, we did it. We are the first to send something back in time!" Oren turned towards Aaron and hugged him. Oren's lips turned into a smile as he laughed with relief. At last he had made his family proud. He had fulfilled his obligation to the Time Travel Research Society (TTRS) and could now do whatever he wanted.

Although the laughter continued, the other four started packing up the scene to escape the heat. Oren and Aaron sat back and soaked in the moment they had always hoped for, but never thought would come.

After everything was packed into the back of the truck, the four others drove off in the car and the excavator, leaving the full truck and Sphere behind for Oren and Aaron.

"Do you know what we just made?" Aaron said coming to a realization. He stopped walking back to the truck and gave Oren a serious look.

"Yes! Now it is possible to go back in time." The moment was too exciting for Aaron's daunting look to concern Oren.

"Yes, but think of the danger. Now we can know the future." Aaron's tone sound both excited and scared.

"What are you saying?" Oren wiped off his smile and focused on Aaron's words.

"The Sphere is dangerous." Aaron looked Oren in the eyes. "Even nuclear bombs don't compare to someone who knows what the enemy is going to do."

It all made sense to Oren. "Why didn't we see this before?"

"We must have been too focused on creating it and the fame it would bring us," Aaron said thoughtfully.

"What do you think we should do?" Oren wiped his sweaty hands on his jeans.

Aaron's eyes narrowed. "We need to keep it safe."

"How?" The thought of hiding the Sphere made Oren's stomach turn. He had hoped that the world would hear of their accomplishment and benefit from it.

"I could keep it safe. We are the best of the best, no one would be able to—"

"Aaron, what are you saying?" Oren took a step back. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You can't—"

"We have to keep it out of the hands of the TTRS." Aaron stepped towards him. "We could even use it to secure its safety." His eyes darted over Oren's shoulder towards the Sphere.

"But will we be strong enough to resist using it for ourselves?" Oren kept his rigid posture and watched Aaron carefully.

"Someone has to use it for good. We could even use it to create worldwide peace," Aaron said without thought. It was as if this wasn't the first time this idea had occurred to him.

"But not us!" Oren didn't like the thought of having so much power.

"Then who?"

"Someone better, someone who knows how to handle power." Dread filled his heart.

Aaron turned the sides of his mouth upwards to form a grin. "I can."

Oren winced at the thought. "You don't know that," he said in a low tone.

"You and I know the dangers of the Sphere better than anyone," Aaron gestured with his hand towards where the four others had left. "We are—"

"You're not thinking—"

"Yes. We could work side by side, like how we researched for the past ten years." He sounded friendly, but Oren wasn't so easily deceived. "Your family would be so proud of you," Aaron said with a caring tone.

Oren froze at Aaron's last comment. Was he trying to use Oren's family to control him? Unsure of what to say, Oren spoke slowly. "No, Aaron. You and I both know how it would end. So much power at either of our fingertips would only lead to corruption."

"Will it?" Aaron raised an eyebrow. He didn't seem to buy Oren's argument.

"Using the Sphere to gain power will not end in peace." Oren watched in horror as his best friend's face started to change. He recognized a side of Aaron he had seen hints of, but never knew defined a much larger hidden side of his life.

"You're wrong," Aaron smiled, which made Oren frown. "With the Sphere, no one will even try to stop us."

"You don't know that. Aaron, open your eyes," Oren's voice trembled, "do you see what you are talking about?"

"Oren, pen your eyes, you can't follow what the TTRS says forever." Aaron's words were true, but corrupt. "You need to start making decisions for yourself. With the Sphere everyone will peacefully hand over their power to us. There will be no war or death."

To his displeasure, Oren had to agree: the Sphere was too powerful to challenge. "Aaron, please listen to me. Taking the Sphere for yourself will only make things worse."

"How do you know?"

"Because I know you," Oren said softly.

"And?" Aaron shook his head as if any response was useless. He started walking around Oren to reach the Sphere, but he was stopped. Oren put his hand on Aaron's shoulder and forced him to face him, like Aaron had done to him so many times before to calm him down.

"You are a wise man, but there is a weakness inside you." He looked Aaron in the eyes. "I've seen it. You are selfish with the power you are given," he could feel Aaron's shoulder muscles tighten under his hand, "and, when you know others will listen to you, you treat them like they are an object meant only to help you."

Aaron clenched his jaw as he listened to Oren. He fidgeted while he worked through Oren's words and lowered his head. He stood with his head down for a moment. Oren felt his pulse slow down. Just as everything seemed to be turning around, Aaron clenched his fists. With muscled tensed, his pulse shot back up. Aaron lifted his head revealing eyes that showed greed. "You're wrong Oren."

"No Aaron!"

At that, he broke Oren's grip and ran for the Sphere. Oren chased after him, but he was to slow. With the Sphere in hand, he ran west, while Oren followed close behind.

"Aaron please!" Oren's voice cracked with grief. "If you use it for yourself, you could destroy our timeline!" Oren couldn't believe this was happening.

In his mind Oren could feel Aaron collect the gravitons flowing from the sun and then jump into the air and disappear. Milliseconds later, he reappeared one hundred feet away.

It was the common small future jump that any Time Traveler, like Oren and Aaron, could make. By using the gravitons, a Time Traveler could send themselves into any future time. Time jumps were through time not space, leaving the earth free to spin or move out from underneath a Time Traveler during his time jump. Since the traveler remained in the same spot while the earth continued to rotate, the traveler would appear further west. Time jumping was relative to the sun, so the problem was not knowing how far to jump into the future, but whether one appeared above or below ground. Oren's thirteen years of training had taught him to make these complicated calculations in mere seconds.

Knowing the exact calculation to use, as well as feeling the length of time that Aaron had jumped, he copied him and reappeared the same distance behind Aaron as he had been only seconds before the time jump.

"I only wish you would realize what we could do together." It didn't surprise Oren that Aaron knew he had made the same jump. Time Travelers could always feel the disturbance in the graviton flow from a time jump.

"I could never allow you to gain power that I knew you couldn't control." Oren jumped only a few feet ahead of Aaron. He turned around and watched as Aaron did another small time jump to bypass him.

"Oren," he gave an unnatural laugh, "you know just as well as I do that you are never going to catch me." Just after reaching the top of a small hill Aaron made a larger time jump. He appeared five feet above the ground and several hundred feet away. Dust rose into the air as he the ground and rolled out to continue his momentum. Oren copied him and rolled up to his feet to continue the chase.

Even though Oren was running at full speed and paying full attention, his mind was elsewhere. Images of times the two had spent together flashed through his mind. Although they were more stressful than anything, they were still times that Aaron and Oren had spent as friends. Oren and Aaron were like brothers, bound together with years of hard work.

"Always do what is right. No matter how many stand against you, no matter how big your enemy is, always do what is right." The words of his mother crept into his mind as she encouraged him during his difficult childhood years.

While running, Oren managed to grab a fist sized rock. He sent it into the future while throwing it backwards. The rock disappeared from his hand just after he let go and appeared only a few feet in front of Aaron. With the same speed Oren had thrown it at, the rock collided with Aaron's thigh.

A cry of pain mixed with surprise erupted from Aaron, but lingered in Oren. It was like fighting his brother. "I can't do this!" Oren cried out with his mind, as if expecting his family to come to his aid.

A vision flashed in his mind. He saw a world of fear and tyranny united by one country. He saw a single leader surrounded by wealth. Oren gasped. It was Aaron. His eyes burned with greed and the lust for power. His subjects wailed in agony as their children were stripped away to serve in his army. They were oppressed by their own children. A mother wept as her child unknowing whipped her for speaking against their authorities. It was a world that would look back to the age before and wish nothing had changed. Oren couldn't let him escape. Too much was at risk.

Aaron's foot landed lopsided from the blow, causing him to fall to the ground. Oren tackled him to the ground before he could recover. The Sphere rolled across the field and stopped several feet away from them.

"The ability to travel back in time is too powerful!" Oren warned as he lunged and grabbed the Sphere.

"We can control it," Aaron sounded out of breath. He climbed to his feet and looked Oren dead in the eye.

In that single stare Oren felt a bottomless pit open and engulf his heart. Aaron crouched down as if he was hunting. He was ready to spring and kill. His eyes focused on the Sphere as if the person holding it didn't matter. Oren shivered. Does he even realize that I am the one he is fighting?

Aaron dove at Oren to steal the Sphere, but it was too late. Oren had already sent it a year into the future.

"Now anyone can get it!" Aaron yelled. He pushed Oren away in frustration. Aaron watched him fall helplessly, but not a sign of pain or sorrow showed in his face. He levitated himself into the air. Aaron's nostrils flared and his fists clenched. He lifted his head from Oren and stared straight out into the prairie, and disappeared in chase of the Sphere.

As much as Oren hated it, Aaron was right. A year would be plenty of time to gather an army and fight for the Sphere. Unfortunately it was the only plan he could think of in the amount of time he had. The soft rustling caused by the wind surrounded him as Aaron's voice faded. _What have I done?  
_


	3. Chapter 3: Soucar

**Chapter 3: Soucar**

Without a flash, or any other unusual occurrences, he appeared. There were no other words to describe it, but that it was sudden. He appeared out of nowhere, running towards the west in a prairie that stretched as far as he could see. He was running fast, and possibly for his life, but only a few feet later he stopped dead in his tracks as he tried to recall why he was running.

He could have sworn that only seconds before he knew what he was supposed to do, but now it was completely gone. It wasn't just this that he had forgotten, it was everything. His name, his personality, his job, his family, and his past. All of it was gone. Trembling he collapsed to his knees in fear.

_Who am I?_

He tried to recall what happened just before he appeared, but had to wonder if he had really appeared at all. Somehow he had completely forgotten everything he had done just before that point in time. He didn't know how such a thing could have happened, but he was determined to find out.

"What happened to me?" Even his voice sounded unfamiliar.

Relief flooded his mind. At least he could still talk and think. A gentle breeze tugged on his shoulder length brown hair and trimmed beard. He didn't even know what he looked were too many questions that he couldn't answer. The lack of knowledge bothered him. _It's as if I should know, but I don't._

He recalled that he had been running, possibly from someone or something. But what was he doing? With frustration filling his mind he threw the round object he had in hand at the ground.

Only then did he realize the round object he had been holding. He picked it up and turned it over in his hands as he examined it. It was completely circular and a half foot in diameter. It was perfectly smooth with a waxy feel. The coolness of the objects touch led him on to know that it was metal, but what kind of metal it was remained unknown. It looked a dark grey color but as the sun reflected off of it he could distinguish a slight green hue.

Hundreds of small points of green lights sped across the shell of the object. They followed no path, but flowed together to make patterns and would then break apart to nothing more than randomness. Amazingly, none of the motions repeated, as if the points of light had a mind of their own.

As he sat down in the tall wild grasses, he could feel a small object in his back pocket. Curious about what it was, he pulled it out. A pocket watch? The pocket watch had a gold outer rim with a silver middle. All of it was thoroughly buffed, leaving its reflection almost comparable to a mirror. An intricate design of a time line in the form a ribbon traveled from left to right. In the exact center of the ribbon it looped around a futuristic looking car with no wheels. In the bottom part of the ribbons loop, he saw that instead of crossing over itself, it actually traveled directly through itself and out the other side. Above the loop the words "A grave mistake" were engraved, while beneath "A promise of peace" was written

He opened it up. Unlike what he would have expected, a digital display covered the inside. Another quality that separated this from any other pocket watch was that instead of counting up, the clock counted down. The time that was now displayed on its face was 23:58. By pressing the only button on its side, it displayed the date; it was 12/31. He pressed the button again, which brought the watch back to the time display, leaving him no control over its settings.

The slight breeze stilled, as the world around him fell into silence. He froze and listened. He heard it again. There was a voice, maybe two. It was distant and quiet and, for some reason, seemed different from an ordinary voice. Testing the new developing theory he had, he covered his ears with his hands. Even though the sounds of the world quieted, the voices still whispered at the same volume. They weren't actual voices. They were imaginary, but nonetheless seemed so real. Since he knew of nothing else he assumed that the voices were normal, and decided to think of other more pressing matters.

He noticed from his cross-legged position that in his lap rested a folded up piece of paper that must have fallen out of the pocket watch. Curious he picked up the piece and started to unfold it. After completely unfolding it he smoothed out the wrinkles and read what it said:

_Your name is Soucar Tayler A. Yamen. I am sorry that it has all come to this, but you are now the only one who can restore peace to the world. The Sphere that you are in possession of is the cause of all this. It is the world's most dangerous weapon._

_The reason why you may not remember anything is because the Sphere has sent you back a year in time. Do not talk to anyone until you have finished the time jump or you will collapse the current time line and ruin the future from which you came. This will cause the destruction of you and this plan along with it. Please, follow these directions exactly as I tell you._

_First, command the Sphere to turn off by saying "Sphere off," and do not turn it on again. When the Sphere is active, it will reverse your abilities if you were to travel through time. Traveling backwards through time will only cause more problems than it will solve, so please do not do so._

_When the alarm on your pocket watch goes off, the sun should have risen just above the horizon. Please stay exactly where you are and for your comfort, lay on the ground. As you can probably feel right now, gravitons are being cast upon you from the sun. When the alarm goes off for a second time reach out with your mind and amass these gravitons onto yourself. Immediately as you start to feel dizzy wish to go 31.495867463522 seconds into the future._

_You will land in China just north of a hermit named Kiyo Toka. You must tell him that Jay Webb sent you and requests that he trains you in the ways of time travel. I will warn you now, do not tell him where you came from or anything about the Sphere._

_Only when you are ready and at least a year has passed, go to the Time Machine and turn the key, then use it to destroy the Sphere. The path will be laid out for you by the riddle of 'Nomen Tuum'. Keep this information away from everyone, only trust yourself. No matter what others may tell you, this is the only way to save our world. You are our last hope. Destroy this device and no matter what you do, do not let anyone see the Sphere. I wish you luck and I am sorry for what I have brought upon you._

_Sincerely,_

_Jay Webb_

* * *

Soucar was comfortably asleep, when a loud sound startled him awake. He fumbled for the pocket watch and quickly pressed its only button. Relieved that the sound stopped, he glanced at the time; it was 8:23 according to Soucar's clock, but this meant nothing as it counted backwards. The only thing he could find out from the time was that in eight and a half hours it would have been a full day since he first appeared. Remembering the note he jumped to his feet and grabbed the Sphere. Just like the note from Jay said, the sun was just above the horizon. Soucar closed his eyes and could feel the gravitons from the sun flow straight through his body and interact with the fewer gravitons from the earth. With his mind he manipulated their path and parted their flow around him. He had already memorized the time that he would have to jump into the future. He was ready. Now he just needed to wait for his watch to tell him when.

Only a few minutes later, it started beeping again. Soucar once again shifted the flow of the gravitons around him. This time he funneled their flow, placing all of them from within a fifty foot area on himself. It wasn't long after, that he started to feel dizzy as gravity around him started to shift.

"31.495867463522 seconds."

All of the gravitons that flowed around him stopped their usual motion and started to spin violently around him. He kept his eyes closed as he continued to focus on the time. The gravitons made a perfect circle around him as it completely separated himself from his surroundings.

A strange black mist fell around him, cutting off all light from the sun. He found himself in the field he had just been in. He was staring at his hands as he turned them over. Soucar recognized this as what he had done the other day.

"Will I ever know who I am?" His old self spoke aloud as he spotted a scar on his index finger. "Will I ever remember my past?" He felt the pink line on his finger. He wondered how the scar had formed.

He leaned his head back and basked in the hot sun. Time seemed to slip by as he fell deep into sleep. As asleep overcame him, the black mist once again filled his vision.

Light flooded around him as he appeared. Everything felt like it had before, except now the gravitons came from the opposite direction. The gravitons released him, letting him once again live by the gravitational laws of Earth. Soucar opened his eyes and saw in horror that he was falling upside down. He flailed in midair to try to turn himself around for a softer landing.

He groaned as he managed to land on his back. While the pain eased, he wondered how he could have appeared upside down. It took him a few moments to collect himself and get the air back into his lungs. Only then did he remember the direct command on the note to lie down.

He stood up and examined his surroundings. A bizarre new landscape surrounded him just like he had expected. A flat expanse stretched out around him with grey clouds blanketing the sky. Soucar noticed the water droplets on the small vegetation that grew around him. He guessed that it must not have been too long ago since it had rained. Judging from the clouds, it wasn't a stretch to assume that it wouldn't be long until it rained again. Although he could not see the sun, he could feel it's gravitons coming from the west horizon. He only had a few more minutes of light.

Soucar had to find the hermit soon, or else he would need to build a shelter. Soucar didn't like sleeping out in the open especially when rain was involved, however, not a single tree was in sight. Dropping the idea of a shelter he decided the smartest choice would be to walk through the night unless a natural shelter presented itself to him.

After reading the notes' directions once again, he started to head south. It wasn't long before the sun had fallen below the horizon and erased all signs of light. Soucar was plunged into a black night, with absolutely no means of light. Knowing that with such darkness getting injured and disoriented was almost guaranteed, he decided to spend the night on the open plane. Shivering, he settled down for a restless night as he let his mind wander once again.

He couldn't figure out why Jay would even choose him. Wasn't there someone else more qualified? Perhaps he was somehow better than everyone else? Did he even choose to do this or was it forced upon him by Jay, knowing that he would forget.

The worst of it all was that he had no idea if he could even trust Jay. The commands given to him, that he felt so compelled to follow, could all be leading to a trap. Although the note said it was for the good of the world, was it possible that Jay was lying through the note? Perhaps it was better to follow what Jay said since he couldn't even remember his past. It was possible that he even came up with the plan. There were so many questions that Soucar wanted to have answered, but there was no one to ask.

The more questions he thought up only added to his unease and restlessness. He didn't know anything. Even the year or date was unknown to him. Although the pocket watch did give him an idea of the time, the fact that it counted down made the time it gave realized that trying to think through his predicament was not helping him fall asleep, so he turned to what he did know and what he could remember.

At least he knew his name. He knew that he had traveled back a year through time and that somehow he was the only person capable of destroying the Sphere. He did know that he could travel through time and space by controlling the suns gravitons.

This struck him as odd; why couldn't he control the Earths gravitons? Soucar closed his eyes, not because it changed anything, but rather out of habit. He could feel the suns gravitons coming from the west and below the earth's horizon. He tried to feel past all of these gravitons and focus on the fewer gravitons that the earth continuously emitted. Soucar attempted to part the gravitons around him, but nothing happened. No matter how hard he tried, he could only control the gravitons from the sun.

Frustrated, he opened his eyes. The darkness of the night pressed around him, making him feel alone and he have any family, friends, or even a job?

His train of thought ended as a raindrop landed on the side of his face with a soft '_splash'_. It was soon followed by another on his leg. Soucar shivered and closed his eyes to catch some sleep. Even though he had only woken up an hour before, he still managed to fall asleep within a reasonable amount of time.

The night carried on slowly. There were several breaks from the rain which Soucar took advantage of. Without fail, he would awaken at the start of the next round of rain. It was a very cold and uncomfortable night that allowed Soucar to sleep only a few hours.

Another rain drop jolted him awake. As he staggered up to his feet he realized that a gray color had pierced through the clouds and shed light down on the soaked Earth. For the first time he noticed a large line of mountains to the south. They were only a few miles away, but their size was intimidating. Soucar took a deep breath and once again headed south towards where the hermit should be.

His mind was blank out of weariness and sullen out of loss as he continued. He walked as if in a trance, until he saw a large pool of water. What did he look like?Out of eagerness, he ran to the pool and fell to his knees at its side. His semi-long brown hair fell in front of his face, as he leaned over the water.

A sad, serious face stared back at him through the rippling pool. He looked troubled and nervous. A beard about half an inch in length clung to his jaw bone, and stretched from ear to ear. Bright blue eyes stared at him with uncertainty and wonder. Even with a semi-young adult face, in his thick brown hair he found several gray strands weaving their way through the rest. Could the gray hairs be the result of a difficult or stressful past?

There was something about knowing what he looked like that brought him comfort. By seeing a mature face in the reflection, it brought him hope. He did have a past; he just needed to find out what it a purpose and hope for a brighter future Soucar pushed on further south.

"Or—" Talking out loud pierced the silence and loneliness of the situation. "—I could find out now." The idea seemed to creep into his mind as he looked down at the smooth Sphere. "If I can go back in time, I could figure out what my life was like." Even while he was saying this, he remembered the instructions on the note that warned him against using the Sphere.

"All my questions could be answered in only a few minutes." His mind fought over what he should do.

Soucar slipped on a slime covered rock. His arms reached out in front of himself to soften the fall. As he landed on his hands his back was wrenched sideways causing the injury from his time jump to reappear. He thought back to the instance when he first appeared in China. He had appeared upside down.

"First I will need to learn how to time jump correctly. If I made a jump now I may kill myself in the process. Then, maybe after I learn, I will find out what is so bad about traveling backwards and if it would even help me remember." With a goal set he continued towards the mountains that seemed to grow larger as he neared.

As the morning turned into evening a rumbling grew louder in Soucar's stomach. He clenched his stomach as he recognized the feeling of hunger. Thirst wasn't an issue because of the rain, but as his hunger grew, he found himself trying to override the feeling of hunger by drinking.

He had walked for more than four hours when he reached the base of the mountains. After climbing only twenty or so feet up the mountain, Soucar had to take a break. It seemed impossible for him to scale the mountain. As he sat on the slope, he looked back towards where he had come. He had traveled quite a distance, but he would have rather done the same thing three times over than scale a mountain.

He was soaked, cold, exhausted, hungry, and sleepy. He wished he could travel back to the warm, dry and peaceful field where he had first found himself. By now the rain was starting to slow, but that didn't make him any drier. Soucar groaned as he got back to his feet and turned towards the mountain.

Before he started his ascent, the clouds parted for a moment. The sun broke through to warm him, but it was soon swallowed up by the clouds. Soucar gasped as an idea formed in his head. He could feel the gravitons from the sun above him. He could use the sun to levitate himself up the side of the mountain.

He funneled the gravitons onto himself, but complete levitation would lift him straight up, not along the side of the mountain. Instead, he used the gravitons to make him lighter. He could almost jump up the mountain, as if he were on the moon. Such a tedious task almost became fun, but it was not nearly as exciting going up the mountain as it was going down the other side. Soucar could jump once and land from eighty to one-hundred feet down the mountain slope without risking a sprained ankle.

It wasn't long before he reached the valley between the first mountain ridge and the second. When he landed at the base of the mountain he released his hold on the gravitons. He almost collapsed as the earth pulled him downwards with its full gravitational force. He noticed, for the first time, that everything seemed out of focus. His mind seemed foggy, as if focusing on the gravitons deteriorated his mental state. Soucar risked using the gravitons once more to jump over a river, before he decided to continue on his own.

Only when he brushed into a tree did he realize the forest that grew around him. The chirping of birds and the rustling of small forest creatures seemed distant and disoriented as he moved south. Soucar didn't see it until he stumbled onto the path that led through the forest. It stretched from east to west without any bends or curves. Although he was unsure, he followed the path east, hoping he would find the hermit. Soucar staggered as he hurried towards what he hoped would be the end of his long journey.

Soucar tripped over a hidden stick and fell flat on the dirt path. The Sphere tumbled and rolled out of his hands to rest beside a tree several feet away. Rain poured down on him as his focus on the gravitons disappeared. He didn't even have the time to stand up before a large net appeared from under a thin layer of dirt and swept him into the air.

His mind panicked, as it weighed his options. He could hide the Sphere before it was too late, or try to escape first and then keep the Sphere safe. The second option was quickly eliminated when Soucar realized that the holes between the ropes were too small for him to fit through. Forcing his mind to focus, he once again funneled the gravitons from the sun onto the sphere. He spotted a bush no more than five feet away. He worked the gravitons to lift the Sphere into the air and slowly towards the west which was where the sun was slowly lowering in the sky. When the Sphere neared the bush Soucar lowered it by narrowing the top of the funnel. He placed it under the bush's leaves and focused once again on escaping.

Before he could attempt anything, he felt a small prick in his back. He reached his arm backward and pulled out a small dart. Blood dripped off the end meaning that whatever poison that had been on its tip had already entered his blood stream.

A soft scuttling alerted Soucar to his attackers position, but he could not catch sight of what or who it was. "Listen, I know who you are!" Soucar yelled out into the forest. "Your name is Kiro—" Soucar reached into his pocket and pulled out the note. "It's Kiyo Toka. I was sent by—" Soucar stopped, not because he couldn't remember the name, but because his tongue had grown numb. He tucked the note back into his pocket as he tried to feel his tongue.

Only now did he realize that his entire back was also numb. A bump had already formed around the small hole that the dart had made. It wasn't long before he couldn't feel his face, which was soon followed by his arms and legs. His sight blurred and meshed together. Everything became indistinguishable.

As his vision darkened, Soucar managed to make out a human form standing just on the other side of the net. Soucar would have called out to him but his muscles didn't respond. Only seconds later, darkness overcame him as his last efforts ended in vain.

This book is finished and even published, so if you want the whole book, you can buy it for $13 at 4133492. Or you could try bugging the author to post more. Who knows, he may cave-in.


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